Fever-based antibiotic therapy for acute cholangitis following successful endoscopic biliary drainage

Background The current management of acute cholangitis consists of antibiotic therapy in combination with biliary drainage. However, the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy after the resolution of clinical symptoms by biliary drainage is unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether discontinuing antibiotic therapy for acute cholangitis immediately after the resolution of clinical symptoms, achieved by endoscopic biliary drainage, was safe and effective. Methods This prospective study included patients with moderate and severe acute cholangitis. Cefmetazole sodium and meropenem hydrate were used as initial antibiotic therapy for patients with moderate and severe acute cholangitis, respectively. All patients underwent endoscopic biliary drainage within 24 h of diagnosis. When the body temperature of